[brid video=”677852″ player=”23231″ title=”New%20York%20Knicks%20rumors%20Team%20interested%20in%20signing%20Davis%20Bertans” duration=”47″ description=”The New York Knicks are going to be the subject of rumors on a near never-ending basis during the NBA offseason following the hiring of former player-agent Leon Rose as the team’s president.Fresh off yet another losing season (21-45), the long-downtrodden Knicks are obviously in need of building their talent level up, once again. The issue here is an organization in New York that has lost prestige. That was magnified during free agency ahead of the 2019-20 season.Now that this year’s free agency is slated to start around the NBA world later in November, we’re hearing a lot of rumors surrounding the New York Knicks. That includes one big free-agent name.” uploaddate=”2020-11-12 16:15:42″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/thumb/677852_t_1605197759.png” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/sd/677852.mp4″]
Is a Russell Westbrook trade on the horizon? That’s not yet known after the former NBA MVP reportedly requested a trade earlier this week. In a related piece of Rockets news, there’s now reports that Russ might be hard to trade.
Given his bloated contract, Westbrook was always going to be a questionable trade commodity. After all, the future Hall of Famer is set to count a combined $132-plus million against the cap over the next three seasons. We now have more information on the Westbrook situation, and it’s not great for Houston.
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Rockets news: No significant interest in Russell Westbrook trade
We previously looked at potential trade scenarios for Westbrook. They were somewhat limited due to the above-mentioned contract. Any team acquiring the nine-time All-Star would have to be able to take on his deal while sending lofty contracts back to Houston.
As for the Rockets, they are not simply going to trade Westbrook for salary fillers. Remember, Houston dealt multiple first-round picks for the guard in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to the start of the 2019-20 NBA season.
This news follows reports that both Westbrook and James Harden have questioned the Rockets’ plans after head coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey departed following the playoffs.
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Russell Westbrook contract
Again, this is a big albatross for the Rockets. The 32-year-old guard inked a five-year, $206.8 million extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder back in September of 2017. His cap hits over the next three seasons are something else.
- 2020-21: $41.36 million
- 2021-22: $44.21 million
- 2022-23: $47.06 million
Again, that would be a lot for another team to take on.
With that said, Westbrook is still playing at a high level. He averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists on 47% shooting from the field in his first season with the Rockets. Contending teams would certainly like to add that production to the mix.
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Rockets news: Potential Russell Westbrook trade
We’re likely to hear more information on a potential Westbrook trade next week. The 2020 NBA Draft is slated to take place on Nov. 18. Houston will likely want a first-round pick back.
However, this latest piece of Rockets news may lead to further questions about Westbrook’s true value on the trade market. It could also lead to Houston pushing back against trading him.